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PC build for trading


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PC build for trading

  #11 (permalink)
 
Big Mike's Avatar
 Big Mike 
Manta, Ecuador
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DarkPoolTrading View Post
Would there be much difference in hardware between building a new PC focusing on trading with traditional software (eg: NinjaTrader, Sierra etc) as opposed to building one that is focused on large + fast data analysis which is ultimately still used for trading via an API.

So I guess put another way, the one type of trading would involve a lot of charts (maybe the graphics card is important?), the other type of trading would involve large databases and the need to process data quickly (maybe things like graphics is not as important?).

Would you essentially be looking for the same type of hardware, or would some things be more important than others in one of the scenarios?

Thanks.

There is no consideration with regards to GPU performance. The consideration is instead based on connectivity (multiple monitors) and noise. You don't need a high performance GPU to look at a chart. But sometimes you are forced towards that end of the spectrum simply for connectivity.

Get at least 16GB of RAM. Get the fastest SSD and CPU you can afford. Get a high quality PSU. Get an aftermarket cooler.

Mike

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  #12 (permalink)
 grausch 
Luxembourg, Luxembourg
 
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Big Mike View Post
I am not sure it's fair to say "works without performance issues". I blew up (set ablaze) my primary i7 workstation a couple weeks ago (details in my journal thread) and had to downgrade to an emergency backup i5 temporarily as importing high-end hardware is difficult in Ecuador. The SSD (1TB Samsung 850 Pro) and memory (32GB) are identical, but there is a definite performance decrease. I can't even imagine an i3, or a Phenom? I love AMD, but come on... this is business, buy an i7 for the cost of a good steak and wine dinner.

For me, seconds matter. If I have to reload my charting platform, I don't want to be waiting. I don't want to wait, ever. I spend money on hardware because it's relatively cheap, one missed trade because of cheap or slow hardware would cover the cost of the hardware several times over.

I understand most people are just doing this as a hobby and don't want to spend any money.

Mike

Thank you for the comments. I did not expect there to be a noticeable difference between the i5 and i7, but can accept that my expectation was incorrect. We have completely different trading styles therefore I guess both of us use PCs that are "acceptable" to our needs. Would not mind having your system though...

Price wasn't really the determining factor when I built this PC as Sandy Bridge had the motherboard recall. Really wanted the i7-2600k, but there were literally no motherboards for sale anywhere. Decided to go with a AMD CPU/motherboard combo as a temporary measure and wait for Ivy Bridge. However, Intel changed to TIM from solder on the lid and temperatures spiked so I was not that keen on upgrading. To be honest, with my usage I am just not feeling the need to upgrade - it no longer is like the 90s where PCs became obsolete at a record pace.


Macan View Post
It depends on the situation. For execution only I don't think it makes any significant difference between the i3 and the i7/xeon. However, it will have a significance when you do backtesting or when you have multiple charts open.

FXCM's platform (marketscope) with 8 instruments open at the same time takes 5-15% of the cpu on my HP Elitebook 840 G2 which has a i5-5200u(Dual core) and it's connected to a dockingstation with 2 monitors at 1920x1080. But I'm running on a demo account so I don't know if it's makes any difference with a live account.

Re backtesting - TradingBlox does a 10-year multi-instrument daily-data backtest in a second or two. Probably depends on the back testing software you use and whether it can actually use multi-threading. Some years ago the majority of backtesting software was single-threaded. I am not sure how much that has changed since then.

Re CPU usage - I am running between 10% and 20% with everything open. That includes the TWS API linking to my own spreadsheet. I guess our results are sort of mirrored. Doesn't mean that someone should not buy the Xeon or an i7, but should budget be a limiting factor an i5 or i3 can be considered rather than the Xeon. I would much rather have an i3 with a decent amount of RAM and a SSD than a Xeon with too little RAM or HDD.

Thank you for pointing out the graphics card - really great way to run 4 monitors without the need to have 2 GPUs in the system. Great for us that are running inefficient CPUs looking to keep power draw down.

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  #13 (permalink)
 Macan 
Stockholm Sweden
 
Experience: Intermediate
Platform: Sierra chart
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grausch View Post
Out of curiosity - would something like a decent i3 work in this build as well?

At work I have two fast i5s while my home setup with a Phenom X4 955 at stock clocks is much faster. Purely due to having more than enough ram and a SSD. Most i3s would be significantly faster than the Phenom and I have not run into any performance issues.

Are people running into any performance issues that necessitate using Xeons or i7 CPUs using standard trading software?

Edit: I should add that I will be having a custom laptop built thus am interested to see whether I really need a i7-4800MQ in there

Regarding the laptop. Take a look at HP's laptops for enterprises and their dockingstation. That combo is really top notch, you get mobility with the laptop but still the workstation you need at home/work with the dockstation.

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  #14 (permalink)
 grausch 
Luxembourg, Luxembourg
 
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Macan View Post
Regarding the laptop. Take a look at HP's laptops for enterprises and their dockingstation. That combo is really top notch, you get mobility with the laptop but still the workstation you need at home/work with the dockstation.

Thanks - I have found both HP and Dell to have really solid enterprise systems although they do command a hefty price premium for what you get.

In the end, I decided to go with a custom-built Clevo notebook built by xnotebooks in the Netherlands. Difference in price between the i5-4300m (comparable to my AMD) and the i7-4800mq (double the performance of the i5) was only about 100€. I don't think either will run into performance issues, but for the price the i7 is worth it.

With a FHD IPS display, 16GB RAM and a 250GB SSD, barring any failure, I think I should be good for 3 years or more.

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  #15 (permalink)
 Jaap8242 
Netherlands Amsterdam
 
Experience: Advanced
Platform: Sierra Charts
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I checked my e-mail today and found "What's the best trading computer?"

You check out this information and of course you get frustrated that you don't have the best trading computer:

One minute later , you think "what the heck"I'm happy with what I have.
But for those who are looking for a new computer, check out the following:

https://eztradingcomputers.net/

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  #16 (permalink)
London Trader
London, UK
 
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Hi all.

I would pay for a Mac Pro / MacOS if Apple had a decent trading platform, but I don't think they do. My nightmare is a Windows reboot at the moment that I'm setting my stop limit..

Parts selected for reliability, mission-critical features (i.e. overheat alarm), and statistically fewer manufacturer returns. Any thoughts on this £2000/$2000 hardware setup for Windows/TT?

Intel Xeon 2GHz; Corsair Hydro H60; Gigabyte MW50-SVO; Matrox M9148 (x2 = 8 monitors); Intel S3700 (x2 mirroring)


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  #17 (permalink)
 Macan 
Stockholm Sweden
 
Experience: Intermediate
Platform: Sierra chart
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London Trader View Post
Hi all.

I would pay for a Mac Pro / MacOS if Apple had a decent trading platform, but I don't think they do. My nightmare is a Windows reboot at the moment that I'm setting my stop limit..

Parts selected for reliability, mission-critical features (i.e. overheat alarm), and statistically fewer manufacturer returns. Any thoughts on this £2000/$2000 hardware setup for Windows/TT?

Intel Xeon 2GHz; Corsair Hydro H60; Gigabyte MW50-SVO; Matrox M9148 (x2 = 8 monitors); Intel S3700 (x2 mirroring)


Looks like a nice setup but I would consider a ssd with an M.2 socket rather than SATA if it's speed you are looking for. Regarding the CPU cooler I think a water cooler like you have chosen is good to keep max temp lower, but I think it most likely will be going on and off if it's controlled by the motherboard since trading won't have much workload(=> low temp) on your cpu. If you will be running the watercooler at low rpm I think an air cooler would be preferable since they are more quiet. Other than that good setup

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  #18 (permalink)
 
Big Mike's Avatar
 Big Mike 
Manta, Ecuador
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Swing Trader
 
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Macan View Post
a ssd with an M.2 socket rather than SATA if it's speed you are looking for

Or U.2 for X99 boards, or in a few weeks, X100 boards.

Mike

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  #19 (permalink)
London Trader
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Those are good points, thank you.

Intel's PCIe SSD is apparently x5 faster than their SATA/mSATA/M.2 models: Matrox M9188 (x1 = 8 monitors) and Intel P3700 (x2 mirroring).

On reflection, that's more than I wanted to spend, but will see..

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  #20 (permalink)
 artemiso 
New York, NY
 
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London Trader View Post
Those are good points, thank you.

Intel's PCIe SSD is apparently x5 faster than their SATA/mSATA/M.2 models: Matrox M9188 (x1 = 8 monitors) and Intel P3700 (x2 mirroring).

On reflection, that's more than I wanted to spend, but will see..

By the way, it could be some work to get your OS onto a PCIe SSD mirror.

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